fix package:universum

fix f is the least fixed point of the function f, i.e. the least defined x such that f x = x. For example, we can write the factorial function using direct recursion as

>>> let fac n = if n <= 1 then 1 else n * fac (n-1) in fac 5
120

This uses the fact that Haskell’s let introduces recursive bindings. We can rewrite this definition using fix,

>>> fix (\rec n -> if n <= 1 then 1 else n * rec (n-1)) 5
120

Instead of making a recursive call, we introduce a dummy parameter rec; when used within fix, this parameter then refers to fix’s argument, hence the recursion is reintroduced.

The isPrefixOf function takes two lists and returns True iff the first list is a prefix of the second.

>>> "Hello" `isPrefixOf` "Hello World!"
True

>>> "Hello" `isPrefixOf` "Wello Horld!"
False

For the result to be True, the first list must be finite; False, however, results from any mismatch:

>>> [0..] `isPrefixOf` [1..]
False

>>> [0..] `isPrefixOf` [0..99]
False

>>> [0..99] `isPrefixOf` [0..]
True

>>> [0..] `isPrefixOf` [0..]
* Hangs forever *